Lucky Star Fun

January 26, 2015Posted inCountry Frank's Lucky Star, Missouri Fox Trotter
Cisco is away for training with Tony and Jenny Vaught.  This makes Lucky Star the winner of nearly every day riding.  This is our second every day.  Away we went to the arena. I took off Lucky's halter and we are "at liberty".   Lucky and I drug the barrels out into the arena....one at a time.  I set up the barrel and secretly placed a treat on top.  Lucky and I went at least 20 feet away.  We stopped and I gave him the sign to "go touch the…

Controlled Catastrophe

December 1, 2014Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
The day started like any day when I was to take a lesson with Erin Patterson.  Excitement to be learning on my horse journey with Cisco. Cisco and I arrived at the arena and got ready.  Jackie came to ride Tuff in the lesson with me.  She brought toys! After our gaiting lesson was done, Jackie went to get her first toy.  Regular people call it a tarp.  Horse people call it "A TARP"!  Jackie has a three year old Missouri Fox Trotter.  She bought the horse because of many…

JR Clinic Journey

November 19, 2014Posted inJR, Missouri Fox Trotter
JR’S CLINIC JOURNEY At official yearling status…exactly one year of age, JR attended his first clinic at Pine Dell. It was his first time to ride in a trailer by himself, to be in a barn, and to be in an indoor arena. He was just a LITTLE upset when we arrived at Pine Dell. I heard a lot of yearling whinny during the first part of the day…most of it right in my ear. BUT, he did just great! He had the least problems of any horse in the…

Cisco is a Left Handed Trailer Loading Horse

November 10, 2014Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
I can lead Cisco into trailer just fine.  He follows me.  When I turn to leave him in the trailer, he gets a little less confident.  Trailers are not a horse's most favorite place. Early on in our relationship, Cisco  learned how to load in the trailer with me outside, sending him in.  I park him at the trailer, pick up my left hand and send him in.  We had quite a time about that the first couple of times.  He goes in but is still uneasy about staying in…

Five Days with Cisco

November 8, 2014Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
Five Day Natural Horsemanship Clinic at First Step Farm in St. Louis Cisco and I left on Friday noonish to get to destination clinic near Eureka, Missouri.  It takes 4.5 hours to get there.  I don't think Cisco has ever been in a trailer that long. First Step Farm is in the mountains southwest of St. Louis.  The roads are narrow and wind around rock formations.  We were in Eureka and when a truck and big horse trailer pulled ahead of me into my road.  Interesting...the trailer made the same…

Cisco Futurity – First Trail Ride

September 29, 2014Posted inCISCO, Miscellaneous, Missouri Fox Trotter
I still remember the difficult stuff when first starting a horse on the trails.  Lucky Star discovered that he hated muddy gullies , so he tried to walk on the sides of the steep gully, or climb the gulley and get stuck in the trees on the top.  Then I remember the stopping at the water crossing and the eventual jumping of the water crossing.  I remember Lucky casting back and forth on the trail trying to find the right grove.  I remember running down the steep rocky hills, screeching…